Some of the names in line to replace Deebo Samuel at kick returner

Through last offseason and last football season, South Carolina football coach Will Muschamp could confidently speak about his kick return game and the danger Deebo Samuel could always pose to the opposition.

Now there’s no Deebo and a big hole to fill.

“It’s always tough, but we’ve got plenty of guys that are great athletes, that are explosive playmakers,” special teams coordinator Coleman Hutzler said. “We’ve got to find that guy.”

Last season, Samuel averaged 24.8 yards per return. He took one for a touchdown against Ole Miss, the fourth of his career.

The batch of names who might replace him is a familiar one, running through the gamut of playmakers already familiar to those following USC football.

“I think A.J. Turner is a guy that’s doing a good job,” Hutzler said. “Shi Smith is doing a good job. Rico (Dowdle) can always go back there. Bryan (Edwards) can always go back there, Josh Vann.

“There’s names. We’ve got to find the guy who will hit it and who can be a difference maker for us.”

Turner has 28 career returns with an average of 21.1 yards. Edwards was the top punt returner last season.

Hutzler spoke highly of Edwards’ return skills in his first year on the job. He averaged 7.9 yards on 12 returns, but Hutzler pointed to near-big plays against Kentucky and Texas A&M.

And that spot isn’t 100 percent locked in either.

“We’re still competing,” Hutzler said. “Shi Smith’s a guy. Josh Vann is catching it great. Jaycee Horn is back there too. We’re keeping that list long and keeping that competition open.”

This story was originally published March 26, 2019 at 12:09 PM.